On Tuesday, August 22nd from 9:00am-12:00pm, fans around Los Angeles will be able to come pay tribute to the beloved Ravager, Yondu, with a morning of prizes and activities at Shorty’s Barber Shop in West Hollywood!

Michael Rooker (‘Yondu’ in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2) will be on location to commemorate his character and interact with fans!

Activities Include:
– The first 50 fans will receive a $50 gift certificate to Shorty’s Barber Shop to come back and Get the Yondu Look.
– Additional giveaways will include Blu-ray Combo Packs and Digital Copies of Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, posters signed by Michael Rooker and other Guardians themed items.
– Themed photo opportunity
– Get the Yondu Look by getting your hair styled into a faux hawk and hair sprayed red.

For those of you hardcore enough to go FULL YONDU*, there will be room for ten lucky Ravagers to get a full hair dye and shave. Those that pledge their loyalty to the captain will not only meet Rooker himself, but will head out with various Guardians loot!

But wait! There’s more, y’all! Two lucky fans will also walk out of Shorty’s with an awesome custom-made Yondu umbrella to keep that new ‘do safe from the LA sun!

* If you volunteer to be one of the 10 fans to get the Full Yondu you will need to be over 18 years of age, be available to get your hair dyed on Monday, August 21st, and shaved or styled from 9:00AM-12:00PM on Tuesday, August 22nd.

To schedule for the Full Yondu, please e-mail your name and mobile number to gettheyondulook@gmail.com.

All colors and cuts will take place at Shorty’s Barber Shop.

Shorty’s Barber Shop
755 N Fairfax Ave
West Hollywood, CA
90046

MARVEL STUDIOS’ “GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2”
Now Available Digitally and Blu-ray on Aug. 22

Lynne Matson joins SciFiChick.com today to talk about her latest release Nil on Fire, complete with an excerpt and giveaway!

I’m so excited to be here today as part of the NIL ON FIRE blog tour! Today I’m sharing the first chapter of the last book in the Nil series: my forthcoming release, NIL ON FIRE.

As y’all may know, the Nil series is a trilogy about a mysterious island where teens have exactly one year to escape, or they die. Think Survivor meets LOST, with dashes of the Twilight Zone and heaps of FEELS. The trilogy begins with NIL, continues with NIL UNLOCKED, and on May 31, 2016, the trilogy ends with NIL ON FIRE. I can’t wait for y’all to read it!

Before I share the first chapter, here’s the synopsis of NIL ON FIRE:Despite Rives and Skye’s attempt to destroy Nil, the island remains. And back in this world, Nil won’t let Skye go. Haunted by a darkness she can’t ignore, Skye wrestles with Nil nightmares that worsen by the day and threaten to tear her apart. As Skye fights to keep her mind intact, she realizes that to finally break free of Nil, she must end Nil’s vicious cycle once and for all–and she can’t do it alone.

Who will return to Nil, and in the end, who will survive? In this thrilling final installment of the Nil series, the stakes have never been higher: everyone’s fate hangs in the balance, including Nil’s own–and Nil will fight to the death. When the full force of the island is unleashed, Skye faces an impossible choice, a cruel one she’d never imagined she’d have to make. Soon one Nil truth becomes painfully clear: only one side can win.

Losing isn’t an option, but winning will cost Skye everything.
Awesome, right? (Of course, I’m totally biased, and unreliable. I love these characters more than I love Thin Mints, and if you know me, THAT’S SERIOUS.) Ready for the first chapter?

Here you go! Enjoy!

Chapter
1
Nil
After Noon

Paulo blinked, slowly, his consciousness returning in crisp frames filled with color and scent and sound.

He stood alone on the black rock platform. The acrid smell of death filled the air, accompanied by the distant crackle of flames. Above him, the sun burned like smokeless fire, still high noon. But over the carving, the gate was gone. Skye was gone.
His chance to leave was gone.

Reality set in, stark and devastating.

I failed, he thought.

A cry ripped from his throat like the wail of an injured animal. He dropped to his hands and knees on the harsh black rock, landing so hard that pebbles raked his palms, drawing blood, but he was too consumed by his growing terror and overwhelming bewilderment to care. How had he missed the gate? He’d waved to Skye, grateful she’d made it, knowing he was last and that the timing felt right—the completion of a circle begun three months before, the end of a cycle begun years before he or Skye were ever born. Only he’d hesitated, for reasons that he couldn’t explain. For reasons he couldn’t remember.

He’d lost time, mysterious minutes stolen by an invisible entity.

And now he was alone on Nil.

An angry tear welled in his eye; he wiped it quickly, already pulling himself together, knowing he wasn’t truly alone. There were lions and hyenas and pumas on the island too, and he was very aware that he did not sit on top of Nil’s food chain. He coughed, then choked, tasting smoke and salt. The thick air billowing up from the meadow snapped him to attention like a hot slap to the face.

He needed to get away from the mountain. There was nothing for him here, not now.
Not for three more months, to be precise.

Paulo stood, and with one last look around the silent black platform, he stepped back. Then, even though there was no escape, he turned and began to run. Down the steps, past the fiery meadow.

Around him, the island burned.

The island let him go.
It would wait.
It was accustomed to waiting.
Once it had waited for centuries. Time wrapped the island like an invisible sheath, fluid and constant, both armor and weapon.
The island was weakened but not broken.
The male kept running, through smoke and flames and blood as the island settled in to watch. And to wait. And above all, to renew.
And so it began, again. Only this time, the island would not show weakness.
Or mercy.
That era was over.

–End of Chapter One —

I hope you enjoyed this sneak peek at NIL ON FIRE. The full novel hits the wild on May 31, 2016. Or, as I like to say…
The end begins on May 31.

Before I leave, I want to thank you, Angela, for having me today, and for allowing me the perfect space to give readers a NIL ON FIRE sneak peek. Thank you so much for your love of books everywhere and your support of the Nil series over these past few years! I also want to thank all my readers for taking a chance on a crazy island . . . and for sticking with me to the end. This book is for you! To the #NILtribe! #NoRegrets

xo
Lynne

Courtesy of Henry Holt and Co., I have a copy of Nil on Fire by Lynne Matson for one (1) lucky winner!

Contest is open to US residents only. No PO Boxes please. To enter, just fill out the form below. Contest ends June 10. I’ll draw a name on June 11, and notify winner via email.

I don’t attend many SciFi conventions, but Starbase Indy is one near and dear to my heart. It was one of the very first I ever attended. And it’s local and still keeps the smaller, fan-run feel that makes for a more intimate con-going experience.

More about Starbase Indy:
“The Voyage Home” for Starbase Indy returns the fan-run science fiction
convention to the place where it began back in 1988 – the Wyndham
Indianapolis West, 2544 Executive Drive. During the extended Thanksgiving
weekend, Nov. 27-29, look for a stellar lineup of guests from Star Trek,
Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, Alien Nation, and Once Upon a Time.

However, seeing stars isn’t the only option at Starbase Indy;
convention-goers can delve into the hard sciences with panels and workshops
on astronomy, forensics and other topics. New to the convention world?
Newcomers can check out the “Conventions for Newbies” panel, while other
sessions will explore popular culture such as DC movies and the TV seriesGame of Thrones.

Bring the children along as well. While adults attend panels or browse the
Dealers’ Room, Starbase Indy will feature “CSI for Kids” and other special
family programming.

Other weekend festivities will include a Star Trek-based musical group (Five
Year Mission) and a screening of the 2014 hit movie, Guardians of theGalaxy. Back again will be Artemis, the popular multi-player networked game
that puts players aboard a starship. As for the Dealers’ Room, it contains
out-of-this world merchandise that provides a great alternative to Black
Friday shopping.

They will dine with attendees at the Dinner for the Stars – special
registration required – and some stars will perform during the event.
During the weekend, convention-goers also can unwind at the con suite, where
they can chat with fellow fans and enjoy some munchies.

If Project Runway holds a certain fascination, Starbase Indy has its own
variation with a masquerade where attendees strut their stuff across the
stage in science fiction gear. Attendees are encouraged, but not required,
to dress as their favorite characters during the weekend. One note about the
stage – it’s not your typical backdrop. It looks like the bridge of the
U.S.S. Enterprise, complete with sliding doors for entry onto the bridge.

Starbase Indy supports three charities: Cats Haven, a no-kill shelter;
LUNGevity Foundation, which funds lung cancer research and provides an
online support community; and the Jason Foundation, an educational
foundation dedicated to the awareness and prevention of youth suicide.

Registration is $50 for the entire weekend; at-the-door registration for the
full three days will be $55. Children under 12 are free. Daily rates are
available at the door: $30 for Friday, $45 for Saturday and $35 for Sunday.
For more information or to register, go to www.starbaseindy.com. It’s a
convention run by fans, for fans.

The Little Green Book of Chairman Rahma Excerpt
by Brian HerbertReprinted with permission from Tor Books.

1

For the environmental health of the American continents, all inhabitants who survived the Corporate War will be relocated onto densely populated human reservations, with the remaining land slated for either collective farms or comprehensive greenforming, returning it to the pristine beauty of nature. As part of his historic Edict 101, our beloved Chairman Rahma Popal has announced, “Anyone who resists will be dealt with severely. He will be recycled.”
—government news flash, March 17, 2043

THE NUCLEAR-POWERED TRUCK flexed its long body around highway turns without slowing, its air whistle keening to ward off wild animals. Inside the passenger dome sat a man and a woman in complementary uniforms—his forest green and hers black, with peace symbols on the lapels. They held hands and gazed out at the sun-mottled trees of autumn, bearing leaves that were a spectacular array of golden-brown hues. This was an old road, bumpy from decay and debris, having fallen into disuse because of the mass exodus of population in the last two decades. It was the year 2063 in the New England Conservancy, and soon there would be no more need for this route.

Ahead of the vehicle and behind it, police cars created a security zone, their strobe lights flashing and fender-mounted weapons glow-ready, while a Greenpol aircraft flew low overhead. For years there had been attacks by disaffected Corporate elements against GSA assets, and the Chairman had ordered extra precautions to secure his valuable equipment and personnel. Greenpol was the special police force he had created, with divisions to stop eco-criminals, prosecute other crimes, and bodyguard his person.

Presently the big armored truck slowed and turned onto the rough, weed-encrusted surface of an abandoned parking lot, where it screeched to a stop. Outriggers shot into position and adjusted for the uneven surface, leveling the great machine mounted on the chassis. The two passengers, both eco-techs, exited the dome and stepped onto a wide turret platform on the vehicle. They secured their stylized, owl-design helmets and dark goggles, then grabbed hold of safety bars. Other crew members rushed to their stations, to operate the complex equipment and monitor the results. They wore black trousers, jackboots, green jackets, and shiny green helmets.

Flight of the Golden Harpy Excerpt
by Susan Klaus
Reprinted with permission by Tor Books.

1
Kari crouched as motionless as a doll beneath the ferns and stared across the lake carpeted with purple lilies to the trisom trees on the opposite shore. The towering trees swayed in the breeze; their branches overloaded with sweet fruit at this time of the year. After an hour of patient waiting, the eleven-year-old brushed her sweaty locks from her forehead and fretted. Her two-mile hike through Dora’s hot jungle had been in vain. Nothing but birds and small-winged mammals had come and feasted on the fruit.

She heard a pair of squabbling kilts, squirrel-type creatures, and lowered her gaze to watch them as they tussled, rolled, and chased each other up and down the vines. So entranced with the kilts, she failed to notice the male harpy who had flown in and landed in the trisom trees. She rose to leave and saw the flutter of his pale yellow wings before he folded them against his back.

She ducked back down and swallowed. “He’s a golden. A real, true golden harpy,” she muttered, watching him. He picked a ball of fruit, leaned his slender, humanoid frame against the white bark, and nibbled.

Her chest pounded with excitement, realizing she gazed at the rarest creature on the planet. Numerous times, she had seen brown-winged harpies, but the blond, yellow-winged species were nearly extinct. Prized by hunters, the goldens were considered the ultimate game animal and slaughtered for their trophy wings. The golden flung the shoulder-length hair from his boyish face and sniffed the air before hopping to another limb, out of view.

Kari dismissed her father’s warnings about dangerous harpies and crawled from her hiding place for a better look. Approaching the lake’s edge, she was so captivated she never noticed the ripples of water created by a stalking mogel. It shot out from the murky depths and latched its mouth around her leg. The giant eel-like beast knocked her down on the muddy bank and dragged her toward its watery domain. She screamed for help, but was too far from home and her father to be heard.

With her free foot, she frantically kicked the beast’s leathery black head and silvery eyes, but the mogel remained undeterred, holding on to its meal. Its sharp fangs clamped down and released their venom. While thrashing in the shallow water she felt a burning pain enter her bite wound. She grabbed a large rock and clung to it, but with the mogel’s strength and steady pull, her hands quickly slipped over the algae-covered stone. Total paralysis from the poison and drowning would soon end her struggle.

Author Keri Arthur joins SciFiChick.com today for her first stop along her latest blog tour, promoting her new release FIREBORN!

Can you tell us a bit about FIREBORN in your own words?

Fireborn is the story of Emberly, a phoenix blessed (or cursed) with foresight. When she sees the death of the man she once loved, she steps into alter fate–and in the process becomes involved in not only the investigation of her boss’s murder, but the efforts to recover his stolen research before it falls into the wrong hands–and changes the world forever.

Tell us about Emberly Pearson. A phoenix as a main character sounds like something new.

It’s certainly new for me! But after spending 16 books in the Riley Jenson world, writing about vamps and weres, I really felt the need to write something totally different. So I began researching all sorts of mythical creatures, and it was the phoenix–with it’s ability to be reborn time and again out of the ashes of its death–that snagged my muse’s interest, mainly because of the potential such an ability offered story-wise. So Emberly–and the world of phoenixes–was born

Does this mean she’s immortal?

She’s immortal in the sense that on death, she’s reborn. But it’s not automatic; there are restrictions and if they’re not met, she dies permanently.

Is there anything else unique about this urban fantasy series?

There’s a different take on vampires in this one, and there’s certainly some supernaturals that haven’t featured in any of my books before–dark elves, for instance.

Part 1 can be seen here.
I was able to attend this year’s Syfy Digital Press Tour (or Behind-the-Scenes Tour) in Montreal where most of our day was on the set of Helix, Syfy’s newest series coming in January 2014!

After the set tour, we had a Q&A session with the cast. Here are some videos and photos from the event.